- Date
- September 26, 2015, 15:20 local (20:20 UTC)
- Place
- West Bend, WI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N8583PPiper PA 24
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 17, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20150926017159A
- Case key
- 92092
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain his descent rate during the landing, which resulted in a hard landing and runway excursion.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that when he initiated the landing flare, his sight picture "looked correct"; however the airplane impacted the runway before he transitioned to a "horizontal" attitude. The pilot reported that the airplane landed hard, bounced, exited the runway to the left, and the landing gear collapsed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. The pilot reported that no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies existed with the airplane that would have prevented normal flight operations.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that when he initiated the landing flare, his sight picture "looked correct"; however the airplane impacted the runway before he transitioned to a "horizontal" attitude. The pilot reported that the airplane landed hard, bounced, exited the runway to the left, and the landing gear collapsed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. The pilot reported that no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies existed with the airplane that would have prevented normal flight operations.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8583P
- Reported as
- Piper PA 24 (260)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24-4040
- Built
- 1965
- Airframe hours
- 4,239
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-D4A5, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Gordon E. Hering
- Registered owner
- Gordon E. Hering
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 6, 2014
- Departed
- UES · Waukesha, WI
- Destination
- ETB · West Bend, MI
- Airport
- ETB · West Bend Muni, runway 13, 4,994 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic primary flight display, Onboard weather, Stall warning system, Electronic multifunction display, ADS-B, Auto-pilot, Electronic flight bag or handheld device
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 59
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 24, 2012
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 738 total · 15 in this make and model · 738 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.21 inHg
- Observed at
- ETB
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 14, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.0 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.